Dacorum Community Choir was formed in November 2009 in a collaboration between Astley Cooper School, Hertfordshire Music Service and our Musical Director, the conductor Rufus Frowde.
In January 2012 we became a Registered Charity, No 1145821.
We aim to give members the opportunity to sing together in a choir, perhaps for the first time, singing a wide repertoire from classical, world music and folk to gospel and pop. You don’t need to be able to read music to take part – it’s all explained as we go along. You can listen to us singing on the “OUR MUSIC” button above.
We have given performances at a variety of venues across Dacorum. These include short concerts in Residential Homes, outdoor concerts at Music on the Moor and the Herts County Show, and our very successful charity Christmas Concerts. In 2013 we sang in Neu Isenburg – Hemel Hempstead’s twin town in Germany – and also staged a wonderfully successful Opera with professional soloists and orchestra. In March 2014 we sang at the Royal Albert Hall in the Herts Schools’ Gala Concert. Our Advent Concert at St John’s in December 2014 was a fabulous event, combining ourselves, the Dacorum Youth Orchestra and the Melodia Choir from Neu Isenburg. In October 2015 we sang in the chapel of St Stephen’s Undercroft in the Houses of Parliament. In 2017 the choir visited Holland, singing in St Bavo’s cathedral in Haarlem, and in the Dominicus ecumenical church in Amsterdam. In July 2018 we visited Ludlow for a weekend, to join with the Ludlow Male Voice Choir. We had a further successful trip to Ludlow in September 2021. In 2022 we visited the Lake District where we met up with the Carlisle Community Choir for a workshop & outdoor performance. We have just returned from a very successful trip to Dunster where we worked with the Minehead Male Voice Choir, singing in Blenheim Gardens, Minehead followed by a concert in St Andrew's Church. The following day we sang at the Morning service at St George's in Dunster.
Please do click on the “EVENTS” button above for details of all our future rehearsals and performances. There’s something here for everyone! You can also listen to some of our repertoire on the “OUR MUSIC” page.
Unlike most choirs, we rehearse during the day, providing a chance to sing for those who are unable to join an evening group. Our membership therefore reflects a wide range of the community, from students, young parents, those not working during the morning, to those who are retired. There are no auditions – all adults are welcome.
Membership is £40.00 per term from September 2023 but this is not permitted to be an obstacle to membership and may be fully or partially waived for those members in financial hardship. Please speak to Caroline, our Chair, in confidence, if you have any questions about this.
We rehearse on Tuesdays from 9.45 – 11.35am during school term at The Church of the Resurrection, Grovehill, Hemel Hempstead
